Archive Result

111

Soundfile 20031113GRNYOTF

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location New York

Topic Odyssey to Freedom

Transcriber Roger Johnson

Date 8/11/2021

Good evening, everybody. So, today is the last day that we’re meeting together here in this year. Um, The year has gone so fast, so just like that. So, so what we, what I like to do today is just briefly go sort of review exactly what we have uh been working for the whole year. And also shorter way that you can also meditate and uh meditate. I don’t think we can call it visualize, there is not so much visualize, there’s not so much imagery, but visualize.

So, I like to begin with a life the precious human life. Human life what we have now is the most important and very valuable life. Which has all the qualities. Qualities of ten endowments and eight leisures. And, uh, with the 18 qualities, qualitative life what we have. It is extremely important because many of us many of our friends just like us maybe our sisters, maybe our brothers, maybe our spouse, maybe very well educated maybe better educated than we are, maybe a little less, maybe richer, maybe poorer than we are, maybe the same, but many people did not have the quality that we have. Not because from the lives point of view, but from the opportunity point of view. Whatever the reason might be, a number of them may say: “Well, I‘m not interested.” A number of them may say “I don’t believe it.” A number of them may say “Well, very good but it is not my cup of tea.” So whatever the reason may be, so even if someone tried their best, even you tried your best to bring them in that life however, they have this difficulties.

So you don’t. From that angle it is opportunity that is what you have. Even the same life, same family, same condition, everything still one has and the other doesn’t. So that is why this life is important for us. Precious. Why? Because what does this opportunity do? This opportunity be able to deliver whatever you want to. The life is capable and particularly in the spiritual field, this life is capable of delivering total enlightenment.

0:05:29.0

Which many others don’t. So that’s why this is precious. That is why it is important. And it is difficult to find. Many of us will think “Well yeah let this go get some better life in future I’ll be okay.” That’s not necessarily right.. I come back to that why it is not necessarily right, but it is very difficult to find such a life because life what we have, the precious, with the great opportunity we can utilize is not coming out of nothing. It is coming out of tremendous amount of positive virtues we have accumulated. Buddha himself had said, such a life is the result of perfect morality. And uh great conjunction of pure prayer. Great help of six generosity etc, six going beyond activities which make this life perfect. So every time when we try to get the same thing it is never going to be the same thing. Slightly different. Slightly different is fine, but maybe richer, and um more healthier, but without opportunity. So it is not so valuable, not so important in that case.

So, the life what we have is important because it can deliver total enlightenment. What more than that you want in spiritual field? Nothing. Such a life that we have obtained and it is our task our mission not to waste this life. The traditional Tibetan masters give example sometimes we go very difficult far away area to collect water, begging Tibet, we don’t have running water in the house, so people go out in very remote areas sometimes to get water. So what they do is they carry a little sort of a big bucket type of big jar they carry at the back and to collect water. So, the masters used to say, “We go collect the water, we reaching at the water, we did not fill the bucket and we come back with empty bucket.” We call that waste. So, we should not do the same thing with this life. We must do something.

0:09:40.5

To gain better for once for all. And that we also have to do very quickly right now because life is not permanent. It is not only impermanent but is very impermanent. You never know what’s going to happen. We have people living now the next hour they’re gone. It happens. It doesn’t take much. It is very easy. Even you get into plane, I was thinking today, I was coming here today, you know, plane couldn’t land it and sort of dropped down like 500 feet twice and then goes up and then about to hit the, see the buildings and (makes plane noise) up and you know all this and going up and down and so that happens, just takes a few seconds. And, so, it is reality, it is just. So that is just life, that is just an example, but life itself is like that. Very, very impermanent.

No one has ever lived forever. And no one will live forever, either. So that’s what life is all about it. It is so impermanent. That is definite. We all will die sooner or later. And when we are going to die we never know. There is no certainty, unless, you know the Buddha said, you know there is four continents Buddhists, say, Hindu, Buddhists, I don’t know whether it is mythological or metaphysical whatever it is, they divide four continents, the center is Mount Meru, east, south, west and north. And we are supposed to be south, southern Jampudvipa they call it. If you are in north, then life is sort of 1000 years or something. So whenever you have to go they’ll be sound comes from the air saying so and so is going to go. So we know that. So that level you know. In that area, the rest of them are impermanent. You never know. So when it is going to be.

Some people are in the morning, and in the evening it is gone. Some people are available in the evening and are gone the next morning. Such as reality of our life. You don’t have to believe it. You just have to look and think “That’s where we are.” And when you are looking, when you are looking at it, a number of times, you know, all your friends and family and this and that and all, one after another they goes. Whether it is great master teachers, incarnate lamas, spiritually developed, or whatever you may be, so it is the same thing. Last Tuesday morning, Bakula Rinpoche passed away. So, so in Delhi. Seven in the morning Indian time they say, so I got a telephone call about 8 o’clock saying Rinpoche passed away. So, somehow I knew I didn’t pick up the phone. So, I dreamed that before, it is really terrible, and I don’t know why but, so I knew that’s what it is so I listened to the message and that’s it.

0:15:27.2

Anyway, so that’s why last Tuesday we made the Tsoh offerings that evening in Ann Arbor. And, uh, Thursday, you know this Nancy sometimes comes here we makes jokes, sometimes Fancy Nancy, she had big dog. And, uh, the dog just ran out and hit by a car and died. That’s it. Like that. It takes two seconds. And, um, it just happens to be dog. But, human lives are very similar to this. It is uncertainty of the time is the reality for us. So why we think those, why we meditate those, not just to torture our self, not just to bring depression, but to bring our self a sense, bring our self a sense, and sense of urgency in our life. Life is wonderful, capable and delivering, capable of delivering goods. But if we do not use it it is not permanent. It can go any minute. There is urgency in there. You never know.

I vaguely remember I shared here Tsongkhapa has two outstanding disciples, one is called Gyaltsab Rinpoche, elderly gentleman, and the other is called Khedrup Rinpoche, very sharp and very wonderful one. After Tsongkhapa passed away, at first they chose Gyaltsab Rinpoche to continue Tsongkhapa’s teaching. And sort of official master continuing. So within the few years Gyaltsab Rinpoche took the leave and uh handed over the charge to Khedrup Rinpoche. So Khedrup Rinpoche is young and bright and so, and he also very, he likes to go to picnics and things like that and he invited Gyaltsab Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche normally won’t come, but Khedrup Rinpoche pushed it so he came once, in one picnic. So wearing little hat and comes in and so, Khedrup Rinpoche says, “Hey enjoy today and relax and take off your robes and sort of relax and take off the (top one? @ 0:18:35.7 ) one and relax” and all that and so Gyaltsab Rinpoche says, “yes, yes” so he says following one then “out a little here now I must go.” So Khedrup Rinpoche says “Oh, it is very early, early in the day, why are you rushing? Relax today.” He said “I have no time.” He said “What do you mean you have no time? “Take off that hat and you got a lot of white hair” he said “You see here, I have no time. Time for me to go! The all the invitations are here” so Khedrup Rinpoche was a little embarrassed and didn’t say anything and let him go.

0:19:12.3

So, that’s things happens. We all get invitations here and noticeable for me is here (laughs) and I have these why are funny, you know, and then see much can see quite a lot but you now much more here I can see nicely, so. So, this is an invitation. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche my late master, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche at his, when he was 10 years old he wrote poetry, and saying (Tibetan verse). He wrote in alphabetical order. “Here the friends, the invitation of the lot of death has landed on you in the form of snow on your head.” That means white hair. So, that is like that. So we do have a lot of invitations. Invitations. So, no certainty. Time is no certainty. So, at the time of your going what can it help, what can it help, what can help? Nothing. Nothing. Not life insurance, nothing. Not the body, not a friend, not power, not wealth, not even health and longevity. By that time you’re going. So, only the positive dharma whatever you have and that’s the only one that helps at that time. Nothing else. You can carry nothing except positive and negative karma. The pure dharma practices will come in the form of positive karma, and that will help. The negative karmas will hurt you, harm you. So, at the time of death nothing but the dharma helps.

0:21:41.0

And those of you who have gone through this teaching in detail and in this impermanent you have three root, three reasonings, three resolutions, nine round of impermanent and all this, which is Tsongkhapas special gift for us. And, in addition to that, the form of you know dying stage, not the processing stage, but the literally how your body will look like, where you will be lying, how it looks like, and all this, this Pabongka’s Heart Spoon or something it is called and there is a translation of that available in English in the verses, so visualize through that, there is visualization here. So, all these are again, I repeatedly say again, not to develop depression, but develop to remember the sense of urgency. And then you say, if the death comes right now what do I have?

In the positive installment, in your positive bag what do you have? In your negative bag, what are you carrying. You know our mind is not a secret to our self we know. So we have to review. Or preview, whatever. So, if you have a lot of positive things to carry, be happy about it. But if you don’t have so much and if you have a lot of negative baggage, so you have got to worry now. Simply worrying will not help. We have to purify all the negativities and we have to build the positive karma. Purification I did detailed talk to you with four powers. Even if you don’t remember, look back through the transcripts. Listen back to the tapes, read any Lam Rim reliable books. Strongly recommend Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of your Hand. Very strongly recommend that. Read, conclude, meditate. And if you think you can do nothing right now, then it comes to question, if that happens to me now what should I do? Take refuge. Take refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Not because I’m Buddhist I’m telling you. But because of the Buddha. The Buddha is the one who had a totally experience everything just like we are experiencing. And, he went through, he knows the way. He has been kind, compassionate. There are like a zillion different reasons, but noticeable ten outstanding reasons why Buddha.

0:25:58.1

And why not Buddha alone? Because Buddha is like a doctor who diagnoses, but the real medicine that you take is the dharma. That is why real refuge is taking refuge is through dharma. The Sangha is a help. So take refuge. And just simply taking refuge alone is not enough. And what I’m telling you is that you have to meditate, I’m trying to give you a little daily brief meditation. Taking refuge alone is not enough you have to follow the advices. The negative advices, by taking refuge to Buddha, to not take refuge to unenlightened beings. By taking refuge to dharma do not harm any sentient beings. By taking refuge to sangha to not let yourself be the control of non-virtuous friend.

So, by taking refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha, and that also, and that also result oriented refuge. That will be guiding your Buddha within yourself. Your Buddha nature. Is bringing, bringing it matured to the level of the Buddha. Your spiritual development, building it up to the level of perfect dharma. Your, your wisdom bringing to the level of the perfect sangha. These are the result refuges. And in addition to that, Mahayana refuge refuge must have compassion. Not just simply taking refuge, but compassion. And that also comes from nowhere. It comes from two causes. (0:28:55.1 Tibetan phrase inaudible). That is, the fear of falling our self into the lower realms and the suffering. Sometimes we have aversion against fear. But some fears are useful fear, in this case, fear of falling into the lower realms, suffering ourselves, is a positive energy. Positive mental faculty.

0:29:37.0

Maybe no mental faculty. It is a positive thought. And, knowing the Buddha, dharma and sangha can help and rely on, this is true refuge And seeking refuge not to fall in the lower realms, in the hell realms, hungry ghost realms, animal realms. There is a possibility you never know when you die, the moment you die you can be in hell realm, you can be in hungry ghost, you can be in animal, there is nothing really prevent us except for our positive karma and maybe refuge.

So after the taking refuge covers common with the lower level practice, even by taking refuge and doing the right thing, even though we have been able to prevent one lifetime taking perfect rebirth but it could whole thing could repeat, as always do. Reincarnation is nothing but that of repetitions. Always repeat. So then what we are going to do? So knowing everything, whatever we experience is a part of the four noble, first noble truth, truth of suffering. And that also coming from, not from nowhere. It is coming from our negative emotions. And knowing that, and challenging our negative emotions such as craving, hostility, and ignorance. Challenging them.

Not letting us individual being controlled by them. Our mind is mind like a clean, clear crystal lampshade. Do not let if become red lampshade by the influence of the red light bulb. Do not let it become green lampshade by the influence of the green attachment light bulb. Don’t let it control by stupid ignorance, ego. So these are our tasks. These are our spiritual job that we have to do. The challenging our addictions to the three poisons, and the particularly the stupid ego, and getting away from it is the path. By the positive deeds such as compassion for yourself. Intelligent faith. And love for yourself. Will make us see the liberation, the nirvana. Buddha himself said “samsara is suffering, nirvana is peace”. It is very true. Everywhere, whatever we do our life, everything, some days not right. So that is suffering. In nirvana you don’t have that problem. That problem is samsara.

But, when we know for our self as we care for our self, as we love for our self, and the many people don’t. But we have to. Because if you don’t who else will do? My purpose is my purpose. By spiritual development is my spiritual development. If I don’t do it who else will do it? Nobody will do it. So we keep on running around with this samsara forever. So for how many zillions years we run through this? Never ending. Now here is opportunity Just once. That is the reason why Buddha gives the example of the blind tortoise popping her head up in the ocean 500 years once, and hooking the yoke on the head. That is reason why Buddha gives that as an example.

So why not? It happens , it happens to be, happened once. So make best use of it. And the best use of it is as much as I develop love, compassion and caring for myself, I try to develop it for others. Charity begins at home. It begins at home. Yes, all mother sentient beings are beautiful talk, but with a name with a face with another person , with our self, 24 hours from there we have to begin. Love, compassion, caring. Our own family, children, family. Then, extend it. Whatever the way you can. The great bodhimind of ultimate, unlimited, unconditioned love compassion cannot be developed just like that. It is not going to happen. Though we say may all sentient beings may obtain enlightenment. May all beings have happiness. May all beings be free from suffering. We may say that. But it is not going to happen like that. In our mind, I’m talking about in our mind alone. To say the words are easy, even to think that way is not so difficult, but it becomes reality for our self actually the word really I think is, you know like, say what your mean. Isn’t there song, “love must be true, mean what you say.” Right? Wasn’t there song, no? Maybe I’m wrong. So that’s what it has to be.

0:38:31.2

If there is no song, then make it one (laughter). Then, Dimitri will make it.

So, so like you know what we said, four immeasurable, four immeasurables. So that is where you can begin now thinking, all sentient beings may be free from suffering and the cause of sufferings. That is wishing. And then in addition to that how wonderful if they’re all be free from suffering and cause of suffering then there is compassion. And I pray it will be then it is taking responsibility. And I seek blessings to be able to do that. And then it is taking action. So even for once, though we only have, may all beings =be from suffering, and we don’t talk about cause of suffering, and we don’t say it, and so and um, and how wonderful life will be. And I will do it myself. I may be blessed to be able to do that. So all of those are four immeasurable. So there are becomes practicable in this level.

So within that as you know, wither by the seven stage, or exchange stage, try to develop this wonderful mind called bodhimind. (0:41:13.3 Tibetan phrase inaudible).. The moment you develop bodhimind no matter what level you may be, what physical condition you may be, and you become the children of the Buddha, and you become the object to whom everyone can pray and worship. And you know all this so much benefit of the bodhimind, the total first chapter of Bodhisattvacharyavatara is only benefits of the bodhimind, right? In the meanwhile you may be thinking alright I’m think like this, I’m doing the mental exercise, where am I building my merit? You may even think “where am I building my positive karma? If I want to build my positive karma I have to do something or act somewhere and do this and that. Yes it is true but at the same time when you are doing this mental exercise if you call it every point you are building a tremendous. For example, think of refuge. (0:42:51.3 Tibetan inaudible). If you have the, the benefit, the merit that by taking refuge to Buddha, dharma, sangha, if you measure it if it becomes a form, Buddha says the whole work, the whole universe is too small to fit that benefit. (0:43:22.5 Tibetan inaudible)

0:43:22.9

If you want to think you want to measure how many water is in the ocean by taking it by hand by this, will you be able to do it? You will never be able to do it. Likewise, he says, the merit, the positive karma by taking refuge alone cannot measure, just like you cannot measure ocean water by hand scoop. Forget about hand. Even if you have some gallon bucket that you have gallons to pick up you will never be able to measure the quantity of water in that way. There may be different way of measure now, but…

So that gives you the idea each one of those things are building a tremendous amount of positive karma. That is your practice. That is how you make your, build up your spiritual work, your spiritual development.

So even after building bodhimind, just staying will not do. The action such as generosity, generosity. We all know it is wonderful thing. But we may think generosity only in terms of money and uh material world. That’s not true. The major generosity you can think from the field of dharma. Major generosity you can think of just a willingness to share everything. (Tibetan phrase inaudible at 0:45:40.8). Now I forgot…(audience member helping but inaudible). That’s right (Tibetan continues) or something. So anyway, (more Tibetan). The generosity, you went through this, generosity is wish fulfilling of all living beings.

And it is cut the net of uh stinginess. It also brings a lot of benefit, even there is a tremendous so I do not want to repeat on t his. And that also, three types of generosity. Generosity of dharma. And generosity of needed material. And generosity of uh protecting from fear. So these are the three major generosities so one has to be really think that and practice that properly.

And, uh, that also, and then the morality. Morality is also, morality or ethics, is again it is the fundamental basis on which we develop human life is coming out of that.

0:47:44.6

The ethics of keeping our own commitments. Honoring on our own vows. Protecting our self from our downfalls that kills our vows. And these are the most important ethical points. And then of course we need patience. Patience also not just simply be sort of endurance and never mind anything I can wait. I don’t think that is patience. Sometimes I feel the communist Chinese government applying patience against Dalai Lama. So, I don’t think that is patience. So, just simply being able to wait does to mean it is patience. Patience is tolerance. Patience is act that protects our mind falling in the either in hatred or obsession.

And that is patience. I give example during the, if your girlfriend dropped you and then she asked you to meet me in the middle of nowhere at 2 o’clock in the desert and you go there and you are happy to wait until even after five. And that is not the patience we are talking about. And there is interesting to know throughout this, you know Trungpa Rinpoche uses a beautiful uh expression call it um, idiotic compassion, idiotic patience, all these idiotic things, all of those. So you have them there too. Patience, enthusiasm, whatever the word you have to do to, sometimes (inaudible at 0:51:19.3) together with the joy with the um with the really looking forward, with the excitement. Not just “well I have to do it, I have to do it.” So that doesn’t have enthusiasm.

0:51:43.4

And that also have to be focused. If you are not focused things doesn’t work. Focusing means protecting our mind by the control of wandering, wandering, and sinking. If it is too tight, the focus, then you’ll sink. If it is too loose, you’ll wander. So protecting from these two. Try to bring it on the point. In other words, do it everything whole-heatedly. It almost sum up the focusing. Samadi, shamatha, all these are great things, but for our practical purposes everything do it whole-heartedly. And don’t do the wrong thing, that comes with wisdom. So every, the six paramitas, within the six paramitas, you have to have all six of them apply on each. The generosity must have the morality of the generosity, patience of the generosity, enthusiasm of the generosity, focusing of the generosity, and wisdom is the generosity. Wisdom is don’t give the wrong thing to the wrong person. It is simple as that.

You say I like to e generous. So give sugar to the diabetics, or give money to the drug addicted ones. So all these are the wisdom has to apply. So, so in short, our spiritual focus is to obtain enlightenment. Even if you don’t reach to that level, keep the long term goal. It is useful and important and it is one opportunity only we have. So keep that as a goal. Though it may make sense not make sense right now, but at end it will make tremendous sense and that is the best way at least according to Buddha.

So, in order, so you set the goal to build yourself, to bring yourself to that level. Make yourself fully enlightened is your spiritual task. And for that you do through two ways. Through purifying all wrong doings and building the positive ones. Whatever, wherever, whenever, whatever you can do. And among them, again, to building the positive one is actually really, really is is uh three higher trainings. Very ethical. Very balanced and focused. And having wisdom. Having wisdom involves every learning. Again, we have been saying if you don’t learn you don’t know what to do so here now we are at almost at almost except the two last paramitas, we are almost at end of Lam Rim, or Odyssey of Freedom or whatever we will call it, so we’re at that level, so we know exactly what to do. We just reviewed everything. And you may just say the mantras, and think about it. That is icing on cake. And if you don’t say mantras and you’re just going to think about it, that is fine. So, when we say, do practice, I guess that is what it is.

And, signs of the practice will notice change in you. Change in your priorities. Change in your dealings with people. Change with your dealings with your ego. These are the smoke that indicates there is a fire. And when you notice that with you and when you confirm it with you, and though it is not your business, but if you want to poke your dirty nose on somebody else’s affair, then you can judge from that different angle. How it affects you, how does that other person do. So, that is how you can judge. Actually, there are something called five different clairvoyance, one of them called knowing others mind. Knowing others mind is actually trained in that way. So, I guess that’s that for me, and um, before I conclude here I would like to thank you for all of you. And, um, it has been wonderful year, and uh, so do your practice, whatever it is, whenever it is, quality or no quality or whatever it is, because by the time you really go, you can’t say that was a holiday for me, you know. You can’t do that, (inaudible at 0:58:39.7) there’s always room for that. So, every deed counts, you should be very open minded, relaxed, don’t, there is no point of additional torturing for our self, there is enough suffering in the world.

Very relaxed. Though, I said we had wonderful year, but from the year point of year, from the general point of year we had a terrible year, with wars and all killings and all of those, but from individual, individual point of view we had a very bright thing here. So hopefully we’ll have the same thing next year, and uh, have a very good holiday, and holidays are wonderful things. Not only it gives you a relaxed to your body, mind, unless you keep yourself extra busy. Relax in your body, mind, it also reminds us changing, changing from one year to another. In other words, both signs moving forward in your spiritual stuff as well as moving forward in your dying (laughter) but that is what it is. So enjoy yourself so when you come back as you say we are not going to be just like this, the format will be changed, And the teachings will be on the fifth paramita, that is concentration which is meditation. So we are going to make certain courses on that. I don’t know what the eight or nine or whatever weeks course, and we run a course manner, and uh, that’s it, and then while I’m away for, when I’m on sabbatical for a month, a couple of months, Mark is going to do the course. When are you starting?

Mark: Next Thursday, Thursday.

Rimpoche: And, yeah, Mark is going to start the course, Good Life Good Death, and we hope to be able to set up different courses we’ve been doing in Ann Arbor. In Ann Arbor, there are now there are already too many courses, like on the you know if I did not be able to fly today then I would be able to talk from Ann Arbor, there’s already, now there’s interfaith course going on tonight. So, this, the local church and local I don’t know, Jewish temples and uh and uh some people are coming to learn Buddhism ABC or something. So there is some, it is already running there and last time when I couldn’t come it happened to be course on mind and neuroscience. No Buddhism and neuroscience. So there are all kinds of courses going on and we hope we can repeat them here and all sort of different places.

So, we, but anyway, let’s see, we bite what we can chew. So to begin with we are going to start with Good Life Good Death and I hope a lot of people will attend that and hopefully useful. And um though you know though it was very simple language and very heavy editing, however, you know, there’s a lot of efforts put in there. Okay? Thank you.

1:02:58.7

Moderator: Rimpoche, we have some announcements. Um, first of all, because of we’ll be away, or Rimpoche will be away for awhile, if you would like to be kept up to day when Rimpoche starts up again please put your name on the mailing list or email list. But if you don’t want to do either of those things I think there will be something on the Jewel Heart website or answering machine, right? There’s are few different ways of finding out. We’re also having tea and cookies afterwards for anybody, actually for anybody, but particularly for those people who would like to sign up as a volunteer because Jewel Heart is getting pretty big and there are lots of tasks and it is great merit and it is really fun and it’s a great way to meet people and we’re looking for a lot of different people with a lot of different skills. If you would see Fran afterwards and help yourself to refreshments in the back we hope you will stay for awhile.

Rimpoche: Yeah, and also um you know I have this um though this is not our end meeting I forgot a very important meeting. Sixth of December. Sixth of December you know for Jewel Heart fundraising we have to raise funds because a lot of people may think Jewel Heart is very well supported by couple of people (laughter). Yeah, in one way yes. Very generous. But on the other hand we struggle between mouth and hand, hand and mouth, and everything what we wanted to do, the normal answer is there is not money. Anything, whatever you know we have to buy something like uh, like uh fifty dollar something, they say where the money come from, we have no money. It is actually true. We’ve been for in red for awhile, but luckily we are, I hope we are out of red? We are? In black? Oh great! So we have to make this fundraising, because Jewel Heart has been like this for over a decade, and never been in red, except last two years, and now luckily we are out. But that is because everybody has to contribute too much, time energy money and everything, and somehow you know we survived. Otherwise there is nothing, the Jewel Heart, you know. And thanks to Diana and Jonathan we are able to meet here free. And all those, there is nothing. So we do have fundraising, and that is also very good entertainment, between Bob Thurman and me supposed to be debating whatever the subject, and already started the debate in Washington in the medicine conference and I do know it is going to be crazy, you know? (laughter). I already knew it is going to be crazy.

So, and also, and also, to begin with that, to begin with Philip told me, Philip told me um, Philip told me, Philip told me these monks came, lamas came and they make noise they play these cymbals and as a musician I don’t understand anything, I really want would like to know how it works and what is played. So that is why at the beginning we are going to play the monks ritual cymbals how it is going to work with their writing notes we may be able to make Powerpoints and present and however it is going to work out. But when they play the cymbals, there is a it is old style music but just like music there are rules regulations systems charts and we try to present that as much as possible from the two different Tibetan system, the Tantric quality system and the other system. So compare it and you will know to begin with this, and for short time.

Then the first segment of debate between Thurman and me, then break, then you have entertainment, then you have the second segment and that will be debate again so we’ll switch the who’s answering who’s questioning, switch them around, and then, then there’s sunny (?) entertainment will come, then third there is a statement that Thurman and I will give at conclusion of debate. And then at the end of that we are going to have some prayers. And the prayers, we will probably give everybody who is part of Jewel Heart we are going to have everybody, so we are going to be able to say and chant together. Jana (?) is going to be playing in there, and Sonam (?) who is a part of Jewel Heart who was the chanting master of the upper tantric college for what decades really and so unfortunately we are all no longer monk but uh we know the tricks all very well (laughter).

And uh, Philip also would like to have a trumpet as well as those, those another flute and all of those, religious one, spiritual one, not the flute that (inaudible) plays, but uh the religious flute and the trumpet and all of these. If it works out it will be there and if it doesn’t it won’t be there. Cymbals I have we know how to play so it is going be there, so (laughs).

So just make sure you come, okay? So that is sixth December, so, I guess I have nothing more.

Moderator: We mailed out invitations to everyone who is on our mailing list currently so you should be getting those in the mail and those will be telling how you can get tickets but I wanted to tell you also. We’re, um, we have limited number of benefactor tickets available. They will be preferred seating, and afterwards dinner reception at Saapa (?). It is limited to 100 people so that ticket is available. There there are patron tickets which are reserved seats for $50, and general admission for $20. The ticket, the patron and general tickets will only be available through ticket central and there number is 212 279 4200. Um, there have a box office in NY you can go to the box office at ticket central. We will also sell tickets at the door the night of the event.

Rimpoche: Can you repeat the number again?

Moderator: Yes, the number for ticket central is 212 279 4200 that is for the patrons tickets and the general admission tickets. The benefactor tickets you need to get from JH NY. You can call Jeanie at 914 767 0024 for the benefactors tickets. If you‘re not on the mailing and would like to receive an invitation please leave your name here tonight and we’ll make sure you receive one in the mail asap.

(program concludes with group dedication of merit and Migtsema)

Rimpoche: Thank you